NeoVentures is the leader for aptamer development globally because we have led and are continuing to lead with improvements to the aptamer development process. Over the past two years, we have reinvented aptamer development because this was needed.
Aptamers for Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Clients using aptamers for diagnostic or therapeutic applications were finding that the aptamers did not perform as well in biological fluids as antibodies do. There was a low level of cross-reactivity to abundant proteins like serum albumin and IgG. The reason for this is that with antibody development there is a process called immune tolerance whereby any antibody that binds to a self-molecule is eliminated. This does not exist with aptamer development. We thought we could achieve this by doing counter-selection against these targets, but this is not as effective as immune tolerance. Counter selection works well for the removal of aptamers that bind strongly to the counter target, but this does not work as well to remove aptamers that bind weakly to the counter target.
Clients were finding that even though they were not detecting binding to these abundant proteins, there must be a low level of cross-reactivity. Given that serum albumin is present in human plasma at a concentration of approximately 600 uM, if the client’s target protein is present at a concentration of 600 pM, there is a need for one million-fold specificity. This exists for antibodies because of immune tolerance but did not exist for the aptamers that people were trying to commercialize.
The Neomer Selection Method
To overcome this constraint, we developed a new method of aptamer selection that we call NEOMERS. In essence, the power of this new method is that we use a library of the same 4.29 billion sequences against every target. We developed a method that enables us to characterize the response of each of these sequences to any given target. We use this to identify the top 10,000 sequences for a target. We then identify those sequences within this 10,000 that exhibit no response at all to serum albumin or IgG.
Aptamers for Small Molecules: FRELEX
With our patented FRELEX approach, we are the leading company regarding aptamers for small molecules. The aptamers that we have developed for mycotoxins remain the best aptamers anyone has ever discovered for small molecules. With our NEOMER approach, we are now the logical choice for anyone interested in aptamers for proteins. We have developed many aptamers for the detection of transmembrane protein on living cells, aptamers that induce endocytosis for targeted drug delivery, and aptamers that bind but do not induce endocytosis for the prevention of virus infection.
Our methods are patented and proprietary, meaning that we are the only company able to provide you with the necessary level of specificity. If it is feasible to develop an aptamer for a target, then we are the best company to do it. If it is not feasible, we will tell clients that it is not feasible. Our aptamers have the level of specificity that is needed for you to succeed in using them in your applications.
Learn more by getting in touch with our team today. Contact us on our website now.
Dr. Gregory Penner academic training was a blend of very practical plant breeding theory combined with molecular biology. He has used this blend of biology and mathematics to first develop and lead a cereal biotechnology research team with the government of Canada and subsequently as a global research leader with Monsanto Inc. He has been a thought leader in aptamer development globally for the last twenty years as CEO and President of NeoVentures. He has led this company to financial stability without outside investment with an integrated approach to aptamer discovery and commercialization. In 2015, he co- founded a second company, NeoNeuro in Paris France, focused on an innovative approach to identify Aptamarkers for complex diseases.
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